Counterbalanced hoisting mechanism



Aug. 7, 1923.

Filed May 15, 1919 Ewe/z Z oM Patented Aug. 7, 1923.

UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICEQ ARTHUR e. REESE, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, nssrenon no THEWELLMAN-SEAVER- MORGAN COMPANY, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, A oonPonA'rroN orOHIO.

COUNTERBALANCED HOISTING MECHANISM.

Application filedlVlay 15, 1919. Serial No. 297,273.

To all whom it may concern; l

Be it knownthat I, ARTHUR G. REEsE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented acertain new and useful. Improvement in CounterbalancedHoisting Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention is especially useful in con 1 nection with mechanismadapted, among other uses, for hoisting men out of and lowering theminto mines.

The object of the invention is to enable the load supporting cage to belifted or lowered at substantially uniform predetermined rate, and bythe employment of a minimum of power which may be derived from a smallmotor.

Of course the hoisting mechanism in which the invention is embodied, asshown in the drawing, may be used economically for lifting and loweringmaterial of various sorts; but as stated, its chief advantage is inlifting and lowering men, because in many States the statutes limit thespeed at which men may be so lifted and lowered. Therefore, in orderthat they may be lifted and lowered in the minimum time, it is desirablethat their rate of movement be substantially uniform and atapproximately the maximum permissible rate,a result which the saidinvention is admirably adapted to produce.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of partsshown in the drawings and hereinafter described and pointed outdefinitely in the appended claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a plan View of hoisting mechanism whichembodies the present invention, and Fig. 2 is an end view thereof withsome of the parts broken away as appears.

Referring to the parts by reference characters, 10 represents the shaftto which is keyed or otherwise fastened a hoisting drum 15, and a reel20, which as shown are supstantially continuous. A large gear 12 isfixed to this shaft, and this meshes with the pinion 13 which is drivenby a motor 1 1. A round rope 16 is connected with the drum; and is woundhelically thereon. The load supporting cage 17 or other device isconnected with the end of this round rope. A flat rope 21 is connectedto the reel and is wound spirally thereon but in the opposite directionto that in which the round rope is wound upon the drum andacounterbalane ing weight 22 is secured to the end of this flat rope. i

It is evident that, through the described mechanism the drum and thereel will be rotated in unison. l Vhen rotated in one directionthe roundrope will be wound heli cally upon the drum, and at the same time thespirally wound flat rope upon the reel will be unwound. and vice versa.

WVhen the cage is near the bottom of amine shaft, the weight suspendedfrom the. drum is equal to the weightof the cage, plus its load, andplus the weight of the unwound round rope. At that time the flat rope issubstantially all wound upon the reel, wherefore the counterbalancingefi'ect comes from the weight alone. The moment of the coun terweightinginstrumentality is, at thistime, the weight of the counterweight 22multiplied by the radial distance from the axis of the reel to the pointat which the down hanging fiat rope is tangential. At the same time themoment of the load-lifting instrumentality is the weight of the cage andits load plus the weight ofthe unwound rope multiplied by the radius ofthe drum. As the cage and its load is lifted, the radius of the drumremains substantially the same; but the weight which the drum issupporting grows slowly less as the rope is wound helically upon thedrum. The rope 16, as it is wound upon the drum may be laid insuccessive layers. In the construction shown there 90 will be threelayers when the rope is all wound upon the drum. But this makes solittle change in the leverage upon the drum that it is not an importantfactor. At the same time, the weight of the counterweightmginstrumentalities is increasing by the weight of the unwound fiat rope;but as this rope is unwound, the radial distance from the axis of thereel to the point at which the necessary Weight of the described parts,and 1 may construct the machine in accordance with the existingrequirements. If, for ex: ample, the drunris 10 feet in diameter, and

Wire rope, and if the cage attached to the end of the rope weighs about.13,000 lbs, and carries a load of about 17,000 lbs, the desired resultwill be attained if thediameter of the reel be 5 feet and if 2500 feetof flat Wire erope- Z X 7' is secured to-and Wound thereon; and if thecounterweight attached to this wire :rope Weighs approximately 36,700lbs. Of course, these figures are not given with any intention Whateverof limitunisoma rope which is secured to and Wound helically and inuniform layers upon the drum'in one direction, a load carrier secured tothe end of said rope, a fiat rope which is secured to and is Woundspirally in the opposite direction upon said reel,and a counterweightfixed to the end of said flat rope. 7 2. In a hoisting mechanism fordeep shaft hoisting, the combination of a drum, of constant diameter, areel, and means adapted to operate at approximately constant speed forrotating them in unison, a rope/Which is secured to and adapted to beWound in the direction of the axis of said drum to form a layer ofropeon said drum, a load carrier secured to the end. of said rope, aflat rope Which is secured to and is Wound spirally in a diametricaldirection upon said reel, the said flat rope being arranged to Wind in adirection opposite to the rope upon the drum, and a counterweight fixedto the end of saidflat rope.

In testimony whereoffl hereunto aflix my signature;

